Suspected Fake Eggs Sent for Examination; Govt Says Eggs Not Fake

BANGLADESH - Police on Sunday seized a large quantity of eggs which were suspected to be artificial from Patiya upazila of Chittagong and sent them to the court for examination.

Furthermore, two were arrested on suspicion of their involvement in selling and marketing the "artificial eggs".

The arrestees were identified as Arman, 23, and Belal, 32, from Cox’s Bazar.

Of the two, Arman is the owner of the egg shop while Belal supplies the eggs.

Neyamat Ullah, officer-in-charge of Patiya police station, told Dhaka Tribune that they had made a request to the court to examine the suspected eggs.

The OC said that the court was likely to pass an order yesterday, after examining the seized eggs.

According to the police, a senior judicial magistrate of Boalkhali purchased a dozen eggs from a shop in the Kamal Bazar area of Patiya upazila on Friday.

The wife of the magistrate was the first to show signs of suspicion toward the eggs. After breaking one of them open, she saw that the egg appeared to be addled, but the yolk was runny.

Subsequently, the magistrate informed Patiya police, who went to the shop from where the eggs were purchased.

Police broke open and examined some eggs at the shop on the spot, but did not find anything suspicious. Shop owner Arman then informed the police that the eggs were supplied by Belal.

Upon interrogation, Belal said that he had procured the eggs from one Afsar of Ramu upazila in Cox’s Bazar.

Later, police called in Belal and arrested both him and Arman, seizing some 3,000 eggs from the shop.

Patiya police station Sub-Inspector Afsar Al Mamun filed a case against the duo under the Special Powers Act.

No fake eggs in market, says Govt

In another report, Dhaka Tribune reports that meanwhile, the government has categorically denied the existence of artificial eggs in Bangladesh’s market, dubbing reports on the spread of "fake eggs" in local markets a hoax.

In a recent public notice, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) said it found no trace of adulterated eggs anywhere in the country.

But despite that, misleading reports have been circulating widely on the social media about the presence of fake eggs in the markets, discouraging people from consuming eggs.

"It is unfortunate," the BFSA said.

BFSA member Mahbub Kabir said it was not feasible to sell artificial eggs in Bangladesh.

"A chicken farmer sells an egg for Tk4-5 on average which is sold at Tk8 in the market. An artificial egg, if there was any, would cost more to manufacture," he told Dhaka Tribune.

"It is a matter of common sense that there is no scope of importing fake eggs," he added.

In its announcement, the BFSA pointed out that natural eggs may be defective outwardly with soft or no cloves, unusual color of yolk, double yolks or presence of blood in the yolk.

But these defects do not mean that the eggs are artificial or fake.

Mr Kabir said no-one had complained about buying artificial eggs from the market.